India will have to wait longer for Android Pay as Google shifts focus to Tez, its digital payment app

Google is not going to roll out its Android Pay service in India any time soon. The company is rather focused on pushing its new app - Google Tez, a Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based digital payment application, in the country.

During a Q&A session following the launch of Google Tez app on Monday, company's senior executive Caesar Sengupta told the media that the company has no immediate plans to launch the Android Pay service in India. He cited lack of wider availability of (Near Field Connectivity) NFC-enabled smartphones and penetration of compatible Point of Sales (PoS) as the primary reason behind the decision.

Google's Android Pay service is a direct competitor to Apple Pay and allows users to make digital payments at NFC-compatible PoS machines. The technology, however, requires NFC connectivity.

It is worth pointing out here that Samsung has already rolled out a similar Samsung Pay service in India. Samsung's services are exclusive to select smartphones, such as the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8. Samsung Pay also allows users to make payment at the traditional PoS machines using a propriety Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology. The tech enables Samsung Pay to mimic magnetic stripes using electromagnetic field to facilitate the payment, without actually needing to physically swipe the card.

Google today launched its first payment service in India. The company has tied up with handset partners such as Micromax, Nokia, Panasonic, Lava and Xolo to offer pre-loaded Tez app. Google also revealed that it will soon add mobile wallets within the Tez app. Caesar further said that the company is open to idea of rolling out the app on feature phones as well. ALSO READ: How to use Google Tez